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“It is my sincere hope that new monasticism will grow so strong and healthy and widespread that every follower of Jesus in every church has the opportunity, if not to actually live in a new monastic community, to at least have enough proximity and relationship to be influenced by it. This book can help that dream and prayer come true.”—Brian McLaren, author of Everything Must Change

“This is the most informative work to date on its subject. Written in fluid, accessible prose and without pretense, it is also rich in personal and historical insights. The result is a book that is both beguiling and highly credible.”—Phyllis Tickle, author of The Divine Hours

“This book is a scavenger hunt into Christian history and the abandoned places of Empire where the Spirit is stirring today. It’s like digging around in the dirt trying to find the pearl we buried, the pearl that is so beautiful it’s worth giving up everything else in the world for.”—Shane Claiborne, author of The Irresistible Revolution

“It’s hard to be a Christian in America,” writes Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove, a leader in the new monasticism movement in America, a growing group of committed Christians who are living lives of radical discipleship.

However, the movement doesn’t mirror traditional monasteries—many members are married with children and have careers, yet they live differently, often in community in once-abandoned sections of society.

Wilson-Hartgrove founded a new monastic community and works with an alternative theological collaborative. In this book, he takes readers inside new monasticism, tracing its roots through scripture and history and illuminating its impact on the contemporary church. He identifies the key tenets of new monasticism, including:

How monasticism is the oldest form of counter-culture in the West

God’s alternative economy and financial practices for church

Hospitality and active peacemaking

A model for grassroots ecumenism

What the church offers new monasticism: stability, diversity, and structure

“Monasticism isn’t about achieving some sort of individual or communal piety. It’s about helping the church be the church,” Wilson-Hartgrove writes. A must-read for new monastics or those considering joining the movement, this book will also appeal to 20- and 30-somethings, pastors, leaders, and those interested in the emerging church.

Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove (MDiv, Duke University Divinity School) is a leader of the new monastic movement and cofounded the Rutba House community in Durham, North Carolina. An associate minister at St. John’s Baptist Church in Durham, he is also the coordinator of the School for Conversion, a partnership among new monastic communities for alternative theological education. He is the author of To Baghdad and Beyond and Inhabiting the Church. Visit his website at www.jonathanwilsonhartgrove.com.